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The present invention relates generally to a rack for supporting objects and in particular to a rack for supporting one-piece gaskets during shipping, storage and display.
Elongated, one-piece gaskets are commonly found in such items as stoves, refrigerators, caskets and vehicles. Ordinarily, the gaskets are shipped in bulk from the gasket manufacturer to the facility where they will be incorporated into another product or resold on a support rack or in a box. This is because the gaskets are made to follow a specific path defined by the product in which it is used. Moreover, refrigerator gaskets, for example, are often made of an extruded polypropylene with a magnetic core. Such gaskets, in particular, can deform under their own weight during shipping and storage if not properly supported, particularly during extreme heat. A gasket that is sufficiently deformed so that it no longer follows the intended path is not usable. Also, the gaskets are shipped or stored in extreme cold, they may become brittle and break if not properly supported, which also renders the gasket unusable.
The support racks must be sufficiently sturdy to support a number of gaskets and as such are often made of steel tubing or caging. These racks are sufficiently costly that they are usually returned to the manufacturer after the gaskets have been sold and then reused. Since the size and configuration of the gaskets varies for different products, often a special rack has to be constructed for each gasket type and size to properly support the gaskets, which increases costs. Less expensive support racks can be made of corrugated paper or plastic that are designed to be discarded after use. However, such racks still must be made for each type and size of gasket. Moreover, unless they are recycled, discarding these racks increases the refuse produced by the service facility or consumer.
Accordingly, an improved rack for supporting gaskets in storage, transit and display is needed.
The present invention provides a rack designed to properly support gaskets, such as those commonly used in home appliances, during shipping, storage and/or display so that they do not deform or break. Specifically, the present invention includes a framework having a base and a substantially parallel top joined together by at least two perpendicular uprights. To the framework are mounted a pair of gasket supports spaced apart in parallel planes. Each gasket support has an upright extending perpendicularly from the base and a cross-member attached at a free end of the upright to be substantially parallel to the base. The gasket supports are sized and positioned so that a gasket can be supported at its top and bottom.
Thus, the present invention provides a gasket rack which supports the gaskets properly to reduce damage or deformation to the gaskets during shipping and storage. The gasket rack is sufficiently robust to be shipped back to the gasket manufacturer or distributor for reuse.
One aspect of the invention is that it can be disassembled and configured into a compact package when not supporting gaskets. As such, when the gasket rack is empty it can be disassembled to occupy less space for shipping and storage.
In one preferred form of the invention, the rack has framework with a rectangular base joined at its corners to a rectangular top by four perpendicular uprights. Two sets of two laterally spaced gasket supports are mounted to the frame.
The gasket supports each have an upright mounted to the base and connected to a cross-member. Support bars extend perpendicularly between the cross-members of each set of gasket supports upon which rest planar support members. The gasket supports are sized and positioned so that both the upper and lower ends of a gasket can be supported.
In the preferred embodiment, the framework includes four uprights and the framework top and base have a pair of parallel lateral members and a pair of parallel transverse members joined to the uprights at their ends. The longitudinal and lateral members have flanges at their ends sized to fit within an opening of the framework uprights. The gasket supports are longitudinally and laterally adjustable to accommodate various sizes of gaskets. Each includes a collar connected to a pair of cross-members. The collar can be slid along the length of the upright to the desired height. The collar includes a removable pin sized to fit within one of a plurality of longitudinally spaced holes in the gasket support upright for securing cross-members to the upright.
The preferred embodiment of the gasket rack has two sets of two gasket supports. Also, the base includes a center brace having a pair of fixed upright receptors sized to receive a connection end of a gasket support upright from each of the two sets. The center brace also has at two locations a plurality of holes spaced apart laterally in which are disposed a pair of pins at the bottom end of the remaining two gasket support uprights.
The preferred gasket rack also includes one or more support bars extending between the cross-members of each set of gasket supports. The support bars hold up a planar gasket rest which supports the top legs of the gaskets. The support bars are adjustable and include complementary members in sliding relation to each other that can be held fixed by a thumb screw fastener. The support bars have bent ends that fit over and engage with the cross-members to hold them in place.
The preferred gasket also includes side panels and a top cap for enclosing the gaskets within the framework. Tabs welded to the framework uprights retain the side panels. Tabs extending upwardly and outwardly from the top of the framework aid in stacking of the racks one on top of another.
The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description. In this description reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof and in which there is shown by way of illustration a preferred embodiment of the invention. Such embodiment does not necessarily represent the full scope of the invention, however, and reference must be made therefore to the claims for interpreting the scope of the invention.